From the state of the art we know that poly(hexamethylene) biguanide (PHMB) has a bactericidal and fungicidal action (cf., e.g., British Patent 1,202,495). PHMB is therefore applied in many areas as a disinfecting agent, e.g., in the form of solutions or sprays. Applications are found in, e.g., the food industry to clean and disinfect spaces and instruments, to stabilize beverages as well as clean and stabilize water, e.g., also in swimming pools to combat the proliferation of algae and bacteria. From German Published Unexamined Application DE-OS 35 37 627 it is known that, by combining PHMB having a molecular weight ranging from 1,700 to 2,500 with a small amount of polyethyelene glycol, disinfecting agents are obtained that are also used as local antiseptics in the treatment of wounds. According to this German Published Unexamined Application, the PHMB that is marketed by ICI as the hydrochloride under the trademark Vantocil.RTM. is a suitable PHMB.
European Patent 0 4 50 117 describes a Ringer's solution and its use as a bactericidal local wound-treatment medication in which the lactate-free Ringer's solution contains in addition 0.1% to 0.2% of a dissolved concentrate that consists of a 20% aqueous poly(hexamethylene) biguanide hydrochloride solution in which 1 g per 100 ml of polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of approximately 4,000 is dissolved. Also described as a suitable PHMB is the product marketed by the ICI company under the trademark Vantocil.RTM. IB. A product under the trademark Lavasept.RTM. is known for healing wounds, the Lavasept concentrate being an aqueous solution of 20 percent by weight of PHMB and 1 percent by weight of polyethylene glycol 4,000, and the PHMB being the commercial product Vantocil.RTM. IB of the ICI company.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,591 describes solutions containing a microbicidal or fungicidal amount of a biguanide or of a water-soluble salt thereof in the amount of 0.000001 to 0.0003 percent by weight which is used for contact lenses, ophthalmologic products, and dermatological formulations in the vicinity of the eye.
British Patent 1,432,345 discloses combinations for use in connection with the eyes and contact lenses which contain at least one ophthalmologically acceptable polymeric biguanide.
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